Tin opener



June 1 1926. 1,586,607

J. CARAFILIDIS TIN OPENER Filed April 29. 1922 e Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1 1926. J. CARAFILIDIS TIN OPENER Filed April- 29. 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1,1926.

J. CARAFILIDIS TIN OPENER Filed April 29. 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. CARAFILIDIS June 1 1926.

TIN OPENER Filed April 29. 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I [770 zffa r June 1 1926. 1,586,607

' J. CARAFILIDIS TIN OPENER krramey June 1 1926.

1,586,607 J. CARAFILIDIS v TIN OPENER Filed April 29. 1922 6 Sheets-$heet 6 mm ll 1' 1 &

l4ffarneg Patented June 1, 11926. i

UNITEDVJSTATE I 1,586,6 P N O JAMES CARAFIIQIDIS, OF SABRATON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREETENTHS- TOJAMES DELAS, or GREENSBURG, rsjnnsyiiveivra'ann ONE-FIFTH TOYVASEL sAvInrsoF nonoan'rown, wns'r VIRGINIA. c

TIN OPENER.

Application filed Apri12 of the character mentioned by which the va-' rious sheets of the pack are individually stripped or severed from the adjacent sheets.

A still further object is to provide a machine into-which the entire pack is fedand by which the various sheets of the pack are wholly separated-without human IlIltEF-r vention.

With these and other objects in View, the invention resides-in. the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elementswhich will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the invention- Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially online 22, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the feed roll housing-anddriving'gears;

Figure 4 is a top'plan view of-thesame; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the bladecarrying and actuating mechanismsj;

Figure 6 is a top 'plan view of the same; Figure 7 is an enlargedsectional elevation of the pack-advancing and supporting mechanism, showing theknockers and tongs;

. Figure 8 is an elevation of the channeled face of the gear segment or wheel; i u Figure 9 is a section of thesame on line 9-9, Fig. 8; 9 t

Figure 10 is a detail view in front elevation of the tongs and knocker;

Figure 11 is an inner face view of the finger-carrying mechanism; and

Figure 12 is an outer side finger adjusting means.

7 Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates housings in which is journaled a plurality of pairs of feed rolls, as 2, 3 and 4, ofwhich an intermediate pair, as'3, is preferably corrugated for producing slight bond-breaking corrugations in the pack, while the final elevation of 1922. seri l No. 557,258. I 1

rolls over a feed table 5 andis advanced by saidrolls to aposition in which it rests upon a platform 6 with its front end extending somewhat over or beyond the front end of said platform. At a predetermined .moment in the operation of the machine, suitable lifting magnets 7 are'earried rear wardto a pointover the front end of the pack and are then advanced, drawing said pack forward therewith, as will hereinafter befully explained.

In the position to whiclrit has been ad'- vanced bysaid magnets 7 each of the opposite front corners of'the pack is struck by one of the heads 8 ofa knocker 9 which is carried by a'rearwardlyv rotatingshaft or' spindle lOwhich is journaled in the adjacent side of a frame 11, the sides of said frame being disposed in approximate aline-,

ment with the housings 1. The engagement of the knocker-heads 8 with the corners of the pack results in the corners of the lowermost sheet ofthe pack being forcibly bent downward away from the neXt-abovesheet side of and parallellto thesides of the.

frame 11 enter the intermediate space provided by the foresaid separation of the front end of the lowermost sheet from the overlying sheet of the pack. Said blades, which meeting relation, are drawn rearward horizontallythroughout the length of thepack thus effecting complete separation of the lowermost sheet and allowing the latter to occupy substantially alined and substantially drop to an underlying bed 14, from which it may be removed by hand or other appropriate' means.

Power for driving the various sets of rolls 2, 3 and 4 s communicated through suitable gearing, as that shown'in Figs; 1 and 3, from a suitably locateddrive shaft, as 15, which may be directly driven by an electric motor 16. I wheel 17 carried by one/of the sets of feed rolls, as the one ofthe rollsv of the pair 4, is connected belt or chain 18 to a pulley or sprocket wheel 19' carried by the end of;

a roller 82 located rearward of the table 6. A pulley 83 carried by the opposite end of A pulley or sprocket said roller is connected by a chain or belt 84 to a pulley or sprocket 85 carried by a shaft which is journaled at a suitable elevation in upright members 11 of the frame 11. Mounted upon said shaft 20 intermediate said frame members so as to rotate with said shaft is a wheel 21 having a suitable portion of its periphery provided with gear teeth 21 adapted to operatively engage the teeth of a longitudinally disposed rack-bar 22 by which the lifting magnets 7, hereinbefo-re referred to, are supported. Said rackbar is mounted and longitudinally slid-able upon a bar or rod 23 which has its opposite ends mounted upon supports 24: and 25 which are carried transversely of the frame 11 adjacent to the front and rear ends "of the latter and above the path of travel of the pack.

A long spiral spring 86 is carried by the rod 28 intermediate the transverse support '25 and the rear end of the rack-bar. Said spring is designed to forcibly thrust said rack-bar to its advanced position for carrying forward the pack supported by the magnets 7 following the retraction of said rackbar which is induced by engagement there with of the gear segment constituted by the teeth of the wheel 21. A short :and relatively light spring 27 is interposed between the front end of said rack bar and the support 24, said spring serving merely as a after for relieving the shock of the practical ly instantaneous return movement of the rackbar following its release by the gear segment.

A spring 28 is carried by the shaft 26 between the wheel 21 and one of the frame members Ill whereby said wheel is normally :held in an inoperative position with respect to the rack-bar 22. The opposite face of said wheel has formed therein a spiral channel 29 within which, in the rotation of said wheel, rides the point of a finger 30 which is p-ivotally mounted upon an arm dl carried by a vent-ical bar 31. Said bar is supported by an in-waiidly directed arm 32 carried by the u per-endof toothed bar 83, having its upper end projected through said arm and having a head 34 that rests upon a light coil spring 35 which has its lower end seated upon said arm. Said bar 31 has its lower end vertically movable in a vertical guideway 36 provided therefor in a -box-like guide member 37 which is loosely suspended on said shaft 20.

The toothed bar 33 is vertically adjustable, having the teeth thereof engaged with a toothed wheel 88 rotatable upon a spindle .39 carried on the inner face of the adjacent frame member 11 while the back of said bar rests against a portion of said frame member, as against an inwardly directed web 40 formed on said member. 'Said bar has the various teeth thereof numbered to facilitate adjustment thereof to suit packs composed of varying numbers of sheets. is shown in Fig. 12, the designating numbers are carried by the outer face of the bar and are visible through a vertical slot 41 provided in the adjacent frame membeix lVheu a sheet metal pack is introduced in the machine, the bar 33 is adjusted to a position in which a suitable pointer 42 carried by the spindle 39 indicates on said bar a munbering corresponding to the number of sheets forming the pack. A pin is then direc through the frame member 11 into a Dr tion engaging a tooth of the toothed wheel 38 whereby the latter is locked against rotation, thus locking the bar 33 against movement from its adjusted position. In such position of the bar 83, the finger 30 occupies a position in the channel 29 of the w reel 21 at such a distance from the center cl; nel outlet that, in the operations required to effect separation of the various sheets of the pack, it will have traversed said clrauncl to the inner end of the latter. it the touchision of the pack opening operation, the said L latter rearward to a position for taxin u} the next pack. Having thrust the wheel 11 into operative relation to the rack-bar, as aforesaid, the spring 35, which has gradually been compressed through the downward 1 exerted upon the bar 31 in the down travel of the finger, acts to instantly said bar to the initial position the: mitted by the adjustment of the prior to its release of the rack-bar rearmost limit of movement of the latter is prevented by the frictional. enga meat of the teeth 21 thereof with the teeth of said rack-bar. But, when said rack-bar is re leased, the spring 28 exerts sufficient force to thrust said wheel into operative relation to said finger, the latter there-upon entering the channel 29 at the proper point provided for by adjustmentof said gauge -bar 33.

The gradually increasing downward iii-- clination of .the linger 30 required as it traverses the channel 29 toward the inner end thereof is permitted by the pivotal connection of said finger with the arm 44;, said connection allowing vertical swinging move-- ment of said finger. 7

Located outside each side of the frame 11 is a f ime coui-iprising housings in which are jou-rnalcd shafts 4'6 and 47 located in the same horizontal plane. Carried by said shafts 46 and 47 are large. gears or sprocketwheels 18 and l9, respectively, and these A operative position, as aforesaid, itenters a position.

gears arewconnected by one 'of the heavy sprocket chains 13 hereinbefore referred to. Mounted stationarily upon said chain is aclip-like support 50, by which: is carried a cleaving blade 12,v said blade being directed transversely through said support and being longitudinally movable with respect to the latter. A spring 51 interposed between the outer face of said support and a collar 52 formed upon said blade tends to normally hold said blade in a retracted 7 An anti-friction roller 53 carried by the outer end of'said blade is disposed: for travel in an endless channel54 provided therefor in the upwardly and inwardly inclined face 55 of ablock 55', hereinafter terined a cam-block, which surniounts an upright longitudinally:extending supporting member or w'eb56. Said channel 54 constitutes, a guideway in which the outer end of'the blade travels as the latter is carried by the chain 13. Both the upper and lower portions or traverses of said channel extend horizontal throughout a distance substantially 'correspondingto the length of the packwhich is to be acted upon and said traverses are'joined at each of the opposite ends byan arcuately curved As the blade is tion 54, it is gradually thrust inward against the tension of its spring 51 :until it occupies the advanced operative position shown in Fig. 1. hen; in the fully retracted position occupied when traversing the lower traverse] of the 'gu-ideway, the point of the blade is disposedoutside the frame 11; but, as it is advanced toward its slot. 57 provided therefor in the adjacent side of said frame and travels in said slot until its fully retracted position is again assumed at the rear end of the cam-block,

Motion is communicated to the gear 49 for driving ,the blade-carrying chain 13 by means, of intermeshing gears 58 andQOcarried respectively by shafts 59 andv 47, the

former being journaled in" the lower rear. end of the housings 45, and said shaft 59' is driven by a belt 60jconnecting a therebycarried belt wheel 61 to a similiar wheel L62 carried by one ofthe roll of the roll wheel 69 carried by an end of a shaft or spindle 70 which is mounted for rotary movement in the upper front ends of' the adjacent side of the frame 11. mmnitel uponsaid spindle 7O inside the sides of said, frame 11 is a: sleeve 78 hav- Loosely ingan arm 71 which depends vertically therefrom and which has upon itsllower end afi'xed rearwardly extending jaw 72 f upper, or movable, jaw 73 at a point ad- "jacent" to the point of the latter, and is thence upwardly and forwardly inclined and has its upper end pivoted upon a crank-pin 76 carriedby a crank-arm 77 which is fixed on saidspindle TO. Said spindle is driven- 'at low speed and. insuch timewith respect;

most sheet. As is apparent, theupper jaw of eachpair of tongs is actuated by the crank-arm TT to; swing toward and away from the lower orlfixed jaw during each As eaoh'sheet is L revolution of said arm. I

severed from the pack, it drops ofv it own weight .to the bed, and, due to its flexibility, its front end slides-from the underlying lowcr jaws of the tongs.

The knocker-heads 8 act upon the corners of the pack ina manner to effect a slight slipping movementof the sheets uponleachf other, as when the corners of the leaves of a book are abruptly flexed;

'Eaclrknocker 9 is very accurately spaced with respect to the adjacent end or corner of 'wardly drawn positioln and the springs 80 employed possess such accurately adjusted tension or resistance that they yield for al-,

the pack when the latter occupies its for;

lowing the heads 8 to pass over the ends of d all ofthe various sheets of the pack,'eXcept the lowermost sheet, with practically infini-,

tesimal bending. Otherwise stated, the resistance offered by the springs isinsuificient to hold the-heads 8 of the knockers projected to the extent that the latter are'niaintained 7 rigid* enougl1' to prevent any substantial bending of more than one sheet at a time.

but they do oifer'suchresistance to inward movement of said heads that the latter will effect an abrupt bending,-or initial separation,:of:the unsupported corner of the lower-. v

the opposite ends of said pins are the heads 8. Coil springs 80 interposed between said heads and the adjacent ends of said body, render said heads readily yieldable so that the blows struck thereby are relatively light and effect permanent downward bending of the corners of the lowermost sheet only of the pack, such lowermost sheet alone being unsupported from beneath.

Briefly stated, the operation of the machine is substantially as follows: As the final sheet of a pack is dropped by the lifting magnets T, the finger 30 rides from the channel 29 of the rotating wheel 21 to the central elevated surface of said wheel and thereby effects shifting movement of the latter on its shaft 20 to :a position overlying the rear end of the rack bar 22; then, as said wheel 21 is rotated, the teeth 21 thereof engage the teeth of said rack bar and effect retracting movement of the latter to a point wherein the magnets 7 overlie the front end of a sheet-metal pack which has previously been delivered to the platform 6 by the feed rolls. At this point in the operation, said magnets 7., which have temporarily been deenergized are caused to be re-energized (by means not shown) and seize the front end of the pack. Immediately thereafter, the rack bar is released by the wheel 21, following which the then-compressed spring 86 re-expands thrusting said rack bar forward to its initial posi- -tion, drawing the pack forward therewith to a definite predetermined position. Uponthe next rotation of the knockers, the heads 8 thereof act upon the end of the lowermost sheet of the pack, :as hereinbefore described, for bending the latter away from the next sheet there'over. The cleaving blades 12 then enter between the said lowermost sheet and the next sheet thereover and act to sever the former from the pack in the manner hereinb-efore indicated, said blades being carried rearward throughout the length of the pack. T he bending of the edge of the lowermost sheet by the knockers and the subsequent severing of said sheet is repeated in rapid succession until all sheets in the pack have been -:detac-hed.

Following the release of the retracted rack bar by the wheel 21, the latter is shifted by the spring 28 away from said rack bar and into a position wherein the finger 30 re- 'entersthe channel 29 of the wheel at a point determined by the previous manual positioning of the "bar 33 in accordance with the number of sheets in the just-advanced pack. lie-positioning of the locking pin 43 is not resorted to until a pack containing a different number of sheets is advanced to the sheet-separating position.

As hereinbefore erplained, the blades 12 are retracted following each cleaving operation to permit of their return to pack-entering position.

The parts of the mechanism described are timed to operate so that each performs its function in its proper sequence and in definite timed relation to the operations of the other cooperating parts. The gearing and driving connections herein shown are illustrative only and it will therefore be understood that the same may be appropriately modified, as desired.

What is claimed is 1. A machine for opening sheet-metal packs, comprising feed rolls, means for advancing and supporting a pack following its passage through said rolls, cooperating blades, and mechanism for carrying said blades tln'oughouta path in which they successively sever the lowermost sheet from the advanced pack.

'2. A machine for opening sheet-metal packs, comprising feed rolls, means for advancing and supporting a pack following its passage through said rolls, cooperating blades, and mechanism for actuating travel of said blades throughout a path in which they successive y sever the various sheets from the pack.

3. A machine for opening sheet packs, comprising means for supporting a pack horizontally, means for initially separating an end of the lowermost sheet from the pack, knife-blades arranged in opposing cooperative relation, and means for carrying said blades throughout a path in which they enter between said separated end and the pack and thence traverse the length of the pack for cleaving said lowermost sheet from the pack.

4. A machine for opening sheet. metal packs, comprising means for supporting a pack horizontally, means for initially separating an end of the lowermost sheet from the pack knife-blades arranged in opposing cooperative relation, a-nd means for carrying said blades throughout a path in which they enter between said separated end and the pack and thence traverse the length of the pack for cleaving said lowermost sheet from the pack, said separating means and said cleaving means being actuated successively until all sheets of the pack are separated.

5. A machine for opening sheet metal packs, comprising a pack carrying and supporting device, means for retracting said device to a position in supporting relation to a pack, means for advancing said device following its release by said retracting means, for advancing the pack, means for acting to successively produce initial separation of an end of the lowermost sheet of the advanced pack, knife blades arranged in opposing cooperative relation, and means for actuating said blades to enter between said separated ends and the overlying portions of the pack and thence to traverse the length of the pack for cleaving said sheets from the overlying portions of the pack.

6. A machine for opening sheet metal metal usect packs, comprising a pack carrying and supportlng device, means for retractlng said de-v vice to a position in supporting relation to a pack, means for advancing sald device following release by said retracting means,

.for advancing the pack, means acting to successively produce initialseparation of an end of the lowermost sheet of the advanced of the pack and thence to traverse the vlength of the pack for cleaving said sheets from the overlying portions of the pack and means whereby said retracting means are maintained inoperative during the time that a pack is supported in advanced position and are then rendered operative following the sheet separating operation. a

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture. a V

JAMES CARAFILIDIS. 

